I’ve wanted to complete a full distance Ironman ever since I wrote out my life bucket list in 2006. Then, I ran a marathon in 2011. When I crossed that finish line, I told myself I’d never run another marathon again. There is only one problem with that. . . the marathon at the end of the Ironman. I was torn between not wanting to run a full marathon, but also really wanting to know if I could mentally and physically finish a full Ironman.

The years went by and life got busy. I had plenty of reasons as to why I shouldn’t train for an Ironman. Finally, my 40 th birthday was approaching, and I thought, “Why not do an Ironman now? What’s holding me back?” So, I started training.

Nine months into training, I began experiencing significant knee pain every time I ran. It began to affect my daily living as well. I tried to ignore the pain and run through it, but ultimately, I decided I should see a doctor. I went to one of the top knee specialists in town. One MRI later, I was told that I didn’t have a lot of cartilage left in my knee and that I really shouldn’t be running at all anymore. Racing an Ironman would be a seminal event that may require a knee replacement a decade earlier than I would need otherwise.

I was discouraged. I didn’t know what to do. Most of my life I’d chosen the safe route. I’m type A. A rule follower. Do I dare try to run anyway? Will I regret it if I do run and push things too far? Am I being foolish? Or am I just scared? What’s worse, the physical pain endured or the pain of regret? These questions bounced around in my mind, but, I couldn’t shake that deep dream I had to finish a full Ironman. I didn’t want to waste any more time than I already had. “Why not at least try?” I asked myself. So, I did.

I started slowly running again. Some days were harder and more painful than others, but each day I thought about my why not. Why not try something hard? Why not try to do something the doctor told me I wouldn’t be able to do? Why not push myself to see what I’m really capable of? Eight months later, I completed my first full Ironman! I couldn’t stop smiling the entire race. Crossing that finish line made me realize that if we just step out of our comfort zone and get comfortable being uncomfortable, we can do anything we want to.

As my coach with Fillnow Coaching says, “You can do hard things.” Now, I’m setting my sights on the next “Why Not?” So, I ask you, what’s your why not and what’s stopping you from going for it?

-Stephanie Taylor